Source: Kari Nap, 785-532-6250, karinap@k-state.edu
Web site: http://usad.org/
News release prepared by: Tyler Axman, taxman@k-state.edu

Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010

K-STATE CHAPTER OF MORTAR BOARD SENIOR HONOR SOCIETY HOST TO KANSAS ACADEMIC DECATHLON FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS JAN. 22-23 AT K-STATE

MANHATTAN -- The Kansas Academic Decathlon will be Friday, Jan. 22, and Saturday, Jan. 23, at Kansas State University.

K-State's chapter of Mortar Board, the national senior honor society, will be the host of the event at the K-State Student Union.

Student teams from high schools across Kansas will compete, testing their intellectual strength. Each team has between nine to 12 members who are selected from three different academic levels: three honor students with grade point averages of 3.75 to 4.0; three scholastic students with grade point averages of 3.0 to 3.74; and three varsity students with grade point averages of 2.0 to 2.99.

Teams are tested in art, economics, language and literature, mathematics, music, and social sciences -- all featuring the theme "The French Revolution." The students also write essays, participate in interviews and deliver prepared speeches. The decathlon features a super quiz where teams earn points for correctly answering questions in head-to-head competition. The subjects covered in the decathlon are part of a study guide used by teams across the nation.

Points earned by individual team members are combined for a total team score. The winning team will represent Kansas at the 2010 U.S. Academic Decathlon April 21-24 in Omaha, Neb.

High schools scheduled to compete at this year's Kansas Academic Decathlon at K-State include: Bonner Springs High School; Blue Valley North High School, Blue Valley West High School, Olathe East High School, Olathe South High School, Shawnee Mission East High School, Shawnee Mission North High School, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, Shawnee Mission South High School, Shawnee Mission West High School and University Academy, all from Greater Kansas City; and Washburn Rural High School, Topeka.

Mortar Board's Academic Decathlon co-chairs are Sebastian O'Connor, senior in political science and international studies, Hartford; and Samuel Brinton, senior in mechanical and nuclear engineering and vocal performance, Perry, Iowa. State director of the Kansas Academic Decathlon is Megan Clark. K-State meet director is Kari Nap, Mortar Board adviser.